St. Louis native becoming archbishop

VATICAN CITY -- Pope John Paul II has accepted Archbishop James Keleher's request to retire from the Archdiocese of Kansas City, Kan., the Vatican said Saturday.

Succeeding Keleher, 73, will be Monsignor Joseph F. Naumann, a St. Louis native who was installed in March as coadjutor bishop in the diocese of 200,000 Roman Catholics in 21 northeast Kansas counties.

Keleher, who has served as archbishop since 1993, had asked the Vatican last year to appoint a coadjutor, to allow a smooth transition before he retired.

Naumann, 55, has been a priest for 29 years and a bishop for seven years. He assisted Cardinal Justin F. Rigali as one of two auxiliary bishops for the Archdiocese of St. Louis, where he also served as vicar general and vicar general for finance.

He also served as administrator of the St. Louis archdiocese until Bishop Raymond L. Burke was installed last January.